Adjustable seat, particularly for motor vehicles



R. N. WRIGHT ADJUSTABLE SEAT, PARTICULARLY FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Nov. 11, 1947,

Filed Aug. 25, 1944 o o o 0 0L \1 Patented Nov. 11 1947 SEKT, PARTICULARLY -FOR 'MOTOR VEHICLES RichardN. right, Blackpool, England Application August-25, 1944,='-SerialNo. 55118? In Great Britain December '16, 1943 (01. HIE-14) .7 Claims. 1 ,Mymain object isto provide :a-zver simple and inexpensive form of adjustable seat-i. :.e., :'0ne which can be tiltedand also adjusted ina foreand-aft direction-for motor-vehicles, iaircraft, motor-boats or the like.

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I am aware that seats are .known which are slidable in a substantially horizontal :direction and of which thefront and rear edges are :independently adjustable :in a substantially :vertical direction but such :prior proposals as are known to me 'in -my -.opinion i'are :relatively icomplicated compared with :the present invention.

According to the invention, a mechanism, for supportinga seat from a stationarysupportyim cludes a pair of cross-barsat least'onenfwhich is engaged in -vertical .or substantially-vertical slots in a pair of brackets,.means fori-locking the cross-bar and brackets in .differentadjusted positions,-a framework having horizontal or substanvtially-horizontal :slots to receive the cross-bars, and means for -1ocking"the cross-bars and 'framework in different adjusted .positions.

.According to a further feature of the :invention, there is apair :ofbrackets having vertical orsubstantially-vertical slots to-receive .a crossbar, the brackets zandthezcross-bar scarrying coacting projecting parts candrdepressions whereby the cross-bar, when .zslid axiallyagainst a return spring, is :free to be raised aorilowered relativel-y tothe brackets whilst-.the'seat is pivoting about the axis of another cross-bar, and there is a framework having slotted aconnections with both cross-bars, to :allow f the .seat .being slid in :a fore-and-aft direction, means being provided for locking the framework in an adjusted horizontal position. Preferably, such :means includes a spring-pressed'leveri'carriedby one ofthe crossbars, the lever rand framework having coacting projecting parts and depressions for locking-purposes. Preferably, too, I arrange the said other cross-bar so that it and the associated brackets can be raised or lowered with respect to one another in the manner of the cross-bar and brackets first mentioned, whereby {the :seat can be raised or lowered as a whole.

Instead of the framework being made fast on the underside of a supporting surface, for-example, a floor, havingslots init through which two pairs-of brackets, secured to the seattframe, extend :to coact with V the two cross-bars ibeneath the :supporting surface, the frameworkEispre'ferably fast with ,or .constitutesthe seat frame, .the brackets ibeing stationary :uprig'hts extending above the supporting surface.

An example of this latter arrangement is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view;

.Figure 2 :is -a fragmentary-plan of the far-1ongitudinal side;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation, to a .2 slightly larger 1.502118 and partly in section, of the :far forward upright and .adjacent parts; and

.Eigure '4 is afragmentarycross-section, to a stilllarger scale, through the far front upright.

:In the COnStIllCtlOnxShoWIl,f thel'e .are two pairs of uprights :('-l:l, 12 at *the ffront, 13, -14 rat 'the rear) each with vertical :slots 16 :in them to re- .ceive .ithe cross-bars ill, d8. These ar mainly :of square (section, with :circular ends. The two uprights on (each iside-i-l-lgand lraor Hand M) may -'be.formed inte r-ally as a pressing of'sheet- .metal :which :may :have, forexample, a horizontal flange :20 ratits lower :edge, (to be screwed :down :upon 1a.:fioor-boardpr other base support. Alternatively, as shown, they may be independent members weldedrorrntherwisevsecured to the verticaIifiaIlg -Z'I f.0f;al1 an le-iron. Th up ehts qof zeach;pair:.are joined to one another at their :upper ends :by a tcrossestrip (22, (2'2 welded or otherwise. secured :thereto.

The :two uprights 11, 11.3 on the near side each have a, series eo'f tcross-notches 23 leading :to the slot 2|6,.-:one :above another, un *their .outer faces, which are .;given r chamfered or flaring openings to receive v. 'cross=pins .24 'fast on the cross-bars ilxl, L8, :and :the :two uprights l2, IS :on the other side each have corresponding notches-=25 on their inner races :toreceive other cross-pins 24 on the cross-s'bars. iThese notches 23, 25 :do :not-=.extend right through the uprights, as'willibe-apparentfrOm Figure 4; but the lower ends of the slots are provided with enlarged or through openings 21 throughwhichthe crossbars (with their cross-pins 24) can be inserted from one side, the 'bars being held in position in the uprights in anyconvenient manner, as by means of washers 28 and split pins 29 through their ends.

Obviously, the coacting projecting "parts and depressions may takeother forms thanthat illustrated.

The framewor-k t bfor example, a rectangular ring in plan *viewwhich constitutes the seat frame "in this example, passes outside the four uprights and has longitudinal slots 32 in opposite sides through which the ends=of *the crossbars I 1, 18 extend with comparative freedom. Coilcompression-springs 33 are mounted-on the cross-bars to bias them axially in the engaging direction. The =seat*itself ,-to be-secured to the seat frame, is not shown'in the drawings. 'It will extend upwardly-over the uprights.

Thus, when either of the cross-bars l1, ts is moved axially -against the associated return spring 33 to release the lockji. e., to withdraw both cross-pins 24 from their 'cross-n gtches, 'it can then -''be raised or lowered whilst the seat fram is pivoting about -*the "axis of the other cross-bar and whilst one of the cross-bars moves as necessary along the slots 32 in the seat frame; or both cross-bars could be released at the same time and the seat raised or lowered as a whole.

Obviously, the cross-bars may be operated by pressure applied to the appropriate ends, or I may make use of a single central lever 35 directly pivoted upon one cross-bar and having a pinother alternative is shown, the lever 35 having a slotted connection with the pivot 36 upon the 4 3. A seat supporting mechanism, according to clairnv 1, including spring .means, which tends normally to bias the cross-bars axially into the position in" which the coacting lock elements thereon and on the said brackets are engaged, and lever operated means for effecting an axial slidingmovement of said cross-members against the and-slot connection with the other. Actually, an-

cross-bar l8 and being pivoted at 31 upon a plate h 38 which is fast with the cross-bar IT and slotted at 39 to receive the pivot 36. Applying force in In consequence, in order to dismantle the parts Y it is only necessary to remove these two split pins or the bolts and the lever and plate 38, and to remove the split pins 29 from the appropriate ends of the cross-bars, when the latter can be withdrawn axially, thereby releasing the seat frame.

On one side of and beside the seat frame is arranged a lever 43 with a clearance hole to receive the cross-bar l8 and a longitudinal slot where the cross-bar l1 extends through it. It is pressed towards the seat frame by the springs 33 on the bars. It can, therefore, be rocked laterally-i. e., in the plane of the two bars [1, 'l8 while fulcruming about its end adjacent the bar 18. It is provided with a projection 44 (for example, in the vicinity of the bar I I, as shown by Figure 4) directedtowards a series of horizontal depressions or through holes 45 provided in the adjacent face of the seat frame. When the lever is pulled away from the seat frame against the pressure of one .(or both) of the coil springs 33, the projection 44 is removed from whatever hole 45 was'engaged by it, and the seat frame is thereby released and can then be slid in a fore-and-aft direction.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: 1. A seatsupporting mechanism comprising front and rear pairs of stationary brackets each bracket being provided with avertical slot therein, a pair of axially slidable cross-bars, each cross-bar being respectively engaged in the slots of a, pair of brackets, coacting lock elements on said brackets and on said cross-barsrespectively for locking said cross-bars at a desired adjusted height in said slots, said lock elements being disengageable by axially sliding said cross-bars, a seat supporting framework having horizontally slotted side frame members, said cross-bars being received in the slots of said side frame members so that said framework is longitudinally slidable on said cross-bars, and means for holding said frameworkin a longitudinally adjusted position. 1 l I 2. A seat supporting mechanism, according to claim 1, including resilient means which tends normally to bias the cross-bars axially into the position in which the; coacting lock elements thereon and on the said brackets are engaged.

opposition of said spring means for effecting the disengagement of the coacting locking elements for the purpose of permitting a height adjustment to be effected.

' 4. A seat supporting mechanism comprising front and rear pairs of stationary brackets each bracket being provided with a vertical slot therein, a plurality of oppositely disposed horizontal recesses in the presented walls at one side of said slots, a pair of axially slidable cross-bars, each cross-bar respectively engaging one pair of slots,

projections carried by each cross-bar adapted, by the axial sliding of the said cross-bar to be engaged with and disengaged from selected said recesses for locking and unlocking the said crossbar with respect to its respective pair of brackets and thus enable the height of the said crossbar to be adjusted, spring means acting axially on the cross-bars to urge the said projections into locking engagement with the said recesses, means for effecting an axial sliding movement of the cross-bars against the opposition of the said spring means for'producing a disengagement of the projections from the recesses when it is desired to make an adjustment of height, a seat supporting framework having horizontally slotted side frame members, said cross-bars being received in the slots of said side frame members so that said framework is longitudinally slidable on said cross-bars, and means for holding said framework in a longitudinally adjusted position.

5. A seat supporting mechanism, according to claim 4, in which the lowermost recess in each side of the slot in each bracket is prolonged to form a through-hole through which, when the cross-bars are at their lowest height of adjustment, the projections on said cross-bars can be drawn when it is desired to dismantle the mechanism.

6. A seat supportingmechanism, according to claim 4, in which the spring means are in the form of coil springs arranged around one end of each cross-bar.

71A seat supporting mechanism, according to claim 4, in which the mouths of the recesses are flared for facilitating their engagement by the projections.

RICHARD N. WRIGHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 822,701 Sutton June 5, 1906 1,355,404 McKee Oct. 12, 1920 1,688,316 Deveau Oct. 16, 1928 1,957,785 Knapp May 8, 1934 2,057,591 Rast Oct. 13, 1936 2,235,237 Saunders et a1. Mar. 18, 1941 2,298,351 DeRose Oct. 13, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 40,439 Denmark July 8, 1929 

